A woman spends 8 hours a day for unpaid care work
Women in Bangladesh on an average spend around eight hours doing unpaid care work per day, but such contributions are not getting social recognition or economic benefits, revealed a study yesterday.
Besides, women on an average spend 3.24 hours doing productive works such as sewing or making baskets but such contributions, be it unpaid care work or productive work, hardly get any kind of recognition, the study added.
On the other hand, men spend approximately one and a half hours for unpaid care work while 3.43 hours for productive work.
The study, conducted by ActionAid Bangladesh, was revealed marking inauguration of a photography exhibition titled "Different
Images of Men" at Drik Gallery in the capital.
The exhibition is a result of a national photography contest on the theme of Unpaid Care Work (UCW) with an aim to encourage men to be engaged in household care work.
Addressing as the chief guest, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said economic evaluation of women's work is very important and the government will initiate an assessment of the unpaid work.
Under the Power Project, ActionAid conducted the study in Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha in late 2016 where 600 people participated.
The objective of the study was to identify the role of women in various capacities of the household, and to determine gender roles.
Quoting the study findings, its principal researcher Meghna Guhathakurta said 69 percent of the female respondents said that they had no one to help them, and 8.7 percent had their daughters to help them while 7.5 percent had the support of their husbands.
Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Nasima Begum said if the unpaid care work of the women is valued, the country could have double digit growth of GDP.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid, said male members in the family do not recognise daily house chores as work.
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